Wealth Inequality in America

This video published in 2012 caught the attention of citizens all over the United States and social media, in regards to the state of inequality in America, concerning wealth and poverty. The video highlights the difference between the US and their perception of inequality considering the ‘ideal’ and the ‘real’ statistics. It is evident from the nineteenth century onwards there is a growing inequality of the rich and the poor that was accentuated by immigration, however, it is interesting to note the viewpoints of actual American’s. Even the publisher states – ‘The reality is often not what we think it is.’

It is hard to perceive the United States as a country who on the surface seem to be financially independent and they encourage the success of their own, in accordance with the American Dream. The comparison of the Great Depression and the recent recession in 2008 suggests how could America possibly reach this state of decay whereby its citizens are struggling. According to the statistics shown in the video, the average worker would have to work more than a month to earn what their CEO would earn within one hour. Consequently, eight out of ten people in America only have 7% of the country’s wealth, ranging from the poor to the highest of the middle class, bordering on the rich. Subsequently, 1% of the population have 40% of the all the nation’s wealth.

Hence, this video seems to position itself amongst those who believe socialist’s ideas, whereby everything and everybody should be equal. The commentator who addresses the citizens of America as ‘we’, implies he is an American too, yet demonstrates the distribution of wealth in America to highlight the disproportion.

Poverty in America

The Great Depression

<https://knoji.com/images/user/jobs-1.jpg> accessed 29 November 2014.

The representation of the United States as a nation of wealth who became the leading industrial power in 1914, consequently resulted in the Great Depression in the 1930s after the stock market crash (Black Tuesday), otherwise referred to as the end of the economic boom. This image portrays the struggle for individuals, causing unemployment, debt and significant financial hardship as the US economy was in a state of decline. The tough reality of urban America sees children begging, pleading on behalf of their parents for work or at least food and shelter. In this hard-hitting time, parents went out looking for work, as well as older children, whilst the younger children had to look after themselves, yet they were still helping by making these signs in order to support the family as a whole. In this image, it conveys the reality of the struggle for families with one young boy’s sign stating ‘Why can’t you give my Dad a job?’ In particular, one young girl’s sign reads: ‘Rarig’s kid doesn’t starve, why should we?’ – This references Rarig Engineering Company*, who manufactured large steam engines and heavy steel structural products. This was an expanding industry due to the governments need for steam engines. Therefore, this successful company who most likely belonged to a successful businessman with children, could feed his family and support them.

*Barrett, Richard, Images of America: Columbus 1860-1910 (Illinois: Arcadia, 2005), p. 66.

Contemporary America

<http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/09/17/poverty-america-census_n_3940812.html> accessed 30 November 2014.

The image above is the representation and reality of El Paso, Texas in contemporary America. With the effects of the 2008 recession, the increased statistic of poverty in the United States is similar to the devastation in the early twentieth century. According to the Huffington Post, ‘the U.S. poverty rate was essentially unchanged at 15 percent in 2012, as roughly 46.5 million people were stuck living at or below the poverty line.’ Reiterating the title of America as a nation of wealth is a universal assumption on the basis of success, and innovation the country has had over the past century, yet, this image and article shows the reality of how real contemporary America is living in. The country’s national ideal of the American Dream, and ethos of social mobility only reaches the minority of individuals who have achieved success as discussed in a previous blog post (Zuckerberg), yet it is the majority who are suffering from such basic daily survival needs such as food and shelter as severely shown in the image. It begs the question as to why in the twenty-first century are there are millions of citizens who are in this position, where the country overall is seen as wealthy and prosperous due to the images of American culture that people around the world view through television and film, ignoring the harsh reality and conditions of the entire population.

'You won't achieve the American Dream by dreaming'

CBS News Online Article

Tobak, Steve, “You won’t achieve the American Dream by dreaming,” CBS Moneywatch, CBS News, 2011. <http://www.cbsnews.com/news/you-wont-achieve-the-american-dream-by-dreaming/> accessed 20 November 2014.

 

It can be argued that the objective of the American Dream is built from a ‘rag to riches’ story due to the notion of the national ethic as seen in Horatio Alger’s Ragged Dick. However, in accordance with the article from CBS Moneywatch, it simply states, ‘You won’t achieve the American Dream by dreaming’. A prime example in contemporary America from a social media perspective of a modern rise of success, is Mark Zuckerburg, founder and CEO of Facebook. The article in a way argues against the typical ideology of the American Dream, that high profile businessmen such as Zuckerburg do not have these high aspirations, they simply work hard, and achieve success through ‘passion’ and ‘strong work ethic’. This is parallel to the narrative of Ragged Dick in the sense that Dick’s success is built on the moral grounds of working hard in difficult circumstances and eventually his hard work enables him to live a better life, not a life of extreme wealth, but one that sees him off the streets.

The CBS article also states: ‘You get there by delivering the goods, getting the job done, and satisfying the needs of your customer, whoever that is.’ For Zuckerberg, this is evident by the successful enterprise of Facebook which was built after Zuckerberg’s interest for computers and programming which transformed into the biggest platform for social media which was simply built in his college dorm room. As the article confirms, ‘When Mark Zuckerburg was developing Facebook, he was building something he thought would be cool. He wasn’t thinking about running a big company and becoming a billionaire.’ This transforms the national ideology into one that is not a straightforward or stereotypical as it may seem. It appears that in fact the dream only takes place after the success of an individual, due to the idea that the dream is so grand and there is not a concrete set of rules to reach the end goal. Therefore the ones who simply work hard and accomplish their ‘dreams’, their success is not measured on a scale of wealth, of course it is a great reward, but it ultimately resides in the personal achievements of the individual.

Gun Control

Pro-gun control - http://www.armedfemalesofamerica.com/

In observing female American’s perspective on the subject of gun control, it is interesting to see how women who are traditionally seen as the subordinate sex, their opinion and reaction to the ownership and use of guns. One website that caught my attention with their bold title is the ‘Armed Females of America’ which openly affirms their view that they are a group of women who are pro-gun control. On initial visit of their website, sprawled over the banner of their webpage is the Second Amendment from the Bill Of Rights, reinforcing the right for people to bear arms, regardless of whether you are male or female. The overall design and discourse on the website can only be described as quite extreme, reinforcing that they as women are trying to make a stand that they are ‘free’ due to the legislation in place that they are able to own firearms as a human right to protect themselves and their loved ones and are ‘prepared to fight’. Under their ‘mission’, the group state: ‘We always seek peaceful solutions first, but never underestimate the aim of… Armed Females.’ This seems to me to be a very aggressive way of promoting gun control, especially for females, which I do agree with the fact that women in any society are seen as subordinate to men, therefore why the connotations of guns i.e. violence and death, are always typically associated with men. Therefore, I can understand women not wanting to be dismissed by having the right to own a weapon for protection of themselves and their loved ones. However, this website seems to project a sense of extremism, due to the powerful statements they make. For example, in their frequently asked questions page, they reveal:

‘To some, our message may sound extreme. If you listen to the rhetoric of the anti's, more often than not, they are far more strident. Our position at AFA is, any persons, or groups that publicly (or privately) call for the destruction of any part of our Bill of Rights are the REAL extremists!’

‘The eye [in our banner] is a subtle message to our lawmakers and the other anti-freedom organizations in our society that says WE ARE WATCHING YOU!’

‘If you’re looking for a women’s organization to exchange cooking recipes, talk about child rearing or stitchery, then this is not the place for you.’

Anti-gun control - http://momsdemandaction.org/

In contrast, the website ‘Moms Demand Action’ want to promote gun sense in America. The organization was founded by a mother Shannon Watts, in response to the devastation of the shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School. The website seeks to help spread awareness of gun violence prevention, although they support the Second Amendment in the Bill Of Rights, they believe there has to be common sense with the responsibility of possessing a firearm. It sparks valid reasoning due to the devastation of the shooting at Sandy Hook, to decrease the number of lives taken of loved ones. This organization seeks to promote stronger gun laws to protect their main concern, children. They reveal ‘nearly eight American children are shot and killed every day’ which reinforces the terrifying reality that ultimately these weapons were designed to kill, yet are taking vulnerable children and adults lives. Their most popular campaign is #Groceriesnotguns, which they are trying to get large grocery stores to ‘adopt common-sense gun policies in their stores’, due to the current policy that allows any individual to openly carry guns into stores. The argument ‘Moms Demand Action’ are stating is mothers and their kids are shopping in these stores every day where there has unfortunately been fatalities concerning guns in famous brand grocery stores. Overall, the organization seem to have valid reasoning in my opinion as to why there should be more strict policies to protect the population to encourage a safe environment for everyone, as surely every citizen has the right and freedom to want to live in a better place without the impending effect of guns?

American Liberty

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ofx-Qjp3cjs

'Young Americans for Liberty'

Searching for a video that expressed an aspect of American liberty, there was so many avenues to explore. However, I stumbled upon this video posted by ‘YAL’ – ‘Young Americans for Liberty’. I felt this was quite appropriate, from the perspective of myself as a British student viewing American students pledge their allegiance to their country through an obvious representation of patriotism, yet pledging how to make their country reach a whole new level of freedom for their generation in the future, suppressing any stale, outdated ideas or movements in society, to create a better environment and life, and inevitably a ‘better’ America. ‘Young Americans for Liberty’ is a pro-liberty organization that is continuously growing with more than 162,000 youth activists nationwide.*

 * <http://www.yaliberty.org/about> accessed 7 November 2014.

They reinforce the idea that this is not a new project, it is a ‘continuation of a youth movement already brewing in this country’. The video supports the movement and their ideas as an organization by videoing students discussing their own ‘pledges’. By ‘pledging’ their individual ideas, aspirations, national and international movements, and even referring back to the original ‘Bill of Rights’ and the 10 Amendments of the US Constitution (1789), showcases a ‘voice’ for the younger generation. It spreads the awareness of the 10 amendments that are still relative in today’s society, and it proves that this next generation are paying attention to the problems within their own country, which often students or the younger generation are criticised for not getting involved in politics and social reforms.

An interesting ‘pledge’ by one young woman, stated “I pledge to hang on to my 2^nd amendment rights until they pry them out of my cold dead hands.” – Another American student also stated: “I don’t own a firearm but I pledge the right for you to own a firearm”. This is a controversial statement on the subject of the ‘right to keep and bear arms’ which is currently approved of in all states. It signifies the idea of how the future generation, those students, feel the necessity to stand for this pledge as a sense of physical protection and liberation with the possession of a firearm. Another male student also refers to the ‘Bill of Rights’, stating: “I pledge to be an advocate of the 10^th amendment in respect to state sovereignty.” This refers to the amendment that advocates the ‘powers are not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the states, are reserved to the states respectively, or to the people.” This has also proved to be controversial in current affairs due to the situation of the legalisation of medical marijuana and recreational marijuana which is questionable for debate as to why some states advocate this and not as an entire country.

Within the video, not only do young American students ‘pledge’, but a small variation of other ethnicities are included, as well as speaking in their own native language. One British man states: “I pledge to spread the message of liberty throughout the world.” Also, a Hispanic woman declares: “I pledge to always defend my rights”. An Asian man also expresses: “I pledge not to buy U.S. Treasury Bills” and conclusively, a Russian man states: “I pledge to join the libertarian revolution in Russia”. Overall, the message of the pro-liberty organization reinforces the quote displayed in the beginning of the video, by Thomas Jefferson, “Every generation needs a new revolution.”

Contemporary Icons - Beyoncé

Beyoncé

Cashmore, Ellis. “Buying Beyoncé”, Celebrity Studies, 1: 2, 135-150.

blogs.staffs.ac.uk/elliscashmore/files/2013/05/Buying-Beyonce.pdf

Beyoncé exists in a “living description of a culture in which race is a remnant of history, and limitless consumer choice has become a substitute for equality” according to Cashmore. This article demonstrates the presence of Beyoncé as an African American celebrity widely accepted by a universal audience that has “risen in a post-9/11 era”. However, the article detects that the global singer, actress, entrepreneur, mother, and wife has never identified herself as African American. This questions whether racial divisions are disregarded in the music industry in modern society and how the icon herself stated, “I’m universal… no one’s paying attention to what race I am. I’ve kind of proven myself. I’m past that.”

     Cashmore focuses on the idea of Beyoncé and her life as a ‘narrative’. There is no doubt that ‘Queen Bee’ herself is presented as a desirable woman in one of the largest agents of socialisation; the media, who has created her own empire of fame, wealth, success, products and endorsements despite any restraints on the colour of her skin. Cashmore argues that the apparent reason for this is due to her silence on issues involving race and African American history to simply avoid controversy, reinforcing this idea that her “life is like a narrative” so she is a ‘safe’ celebrity for an audience to relate to. However in 2009, Beyoncé performed a cover of Etta James’ ‘At Last’, during the inaugural ‘Neighborhood Ball’ for President Barack Obama and his first lady Michelle Obama, celebrating history as the first black president of the United States. This significant moment in history shows the contrast between Beyoncé singing this song as the title suggests ‘At Last’ the population have ignored racial order by electing a black president, compared with the original version sung by Etta James in 1961 at a time where there was evident segregation. The lyrics in the song ‘I found a dream’ also signifies Martin Luther King’s ‘I Have a Dream’ speech delivered in 1963, calling for an end to racism in the United States. Therefore, these associations show how subtle Beyoncé’s influence is, upon how race is depicted in the industry and her life, yet she does it in a way that glorifies her name, career and overall presence as a female African American icon.

     The article also discusses the physical misrepresentation of Beyoncé in the media. In recent advertisements for magazine covers, endorsements and album covers, the colour of her skin was altered, revealing a lighter and paler hue that showed radical changes to her appearance. This created a significant debate of how her image as a global star, ignores her background and her identity as African American, indicating how perhaps she is a ‘brand’; an object of desire, encouraging the consumer into purchasing the product, based on the physicality of herself, or according to large corporations, possibly just her skin colour. Ultimately, Beyoncé is one of the most established artists of this generation and continues to dominate in her career and personal life without attaining scandalous headlines, perhaps suggesting why her life has a evolved in to a grand tale of extreme success. Yet the argument from Cashmore’s article remains: “Beyoncé’s narrative has no theme of black history… only a wish fulfilment fantasy that portrays the hard-earned success of a black woman in a culture largely purged of its historical iniquities.” Therefore does Beyoncé as an iconic celebrity suppress her identity as an African American or is that irrelevant in contemporary culture?

America and Liberty

The image above, to me, indicates a coherent relationship between 'America' and instantly recognisable liberty, due to the statue being one of the most highly distinctive and iconic landmarks. As cliché as it may seem, not only does the statue in itself connote independence due to a very significant moment in history, it encompasses America and its power and freedom that is universally identified. This image in particular with the New York cityscape in the background, represents the concrete jungle as a hub where business, careers and opportunities flourish because of the freedom to express yourself as an individual in a large city.

This image represents 'Main Street, USA', Disneyland Florida. Ultimately, Disneyland Florida is one of the most iconic landmarks in the world and it claims superiority over other international parks with its tagline 'the happiest place on earth'. Most people would associate this happiness with the freedom and independence that it has created. Yet, the ideology of creating this 'kingdom' with the 'look and feel of turn-of-the-twentieth century America'*, creates a hyper-reality, a place built on fictional grounds, significantly encouraging the ultimate 'American Dream'. In theory, it is a theme park which has brought fictional stories to life as a fun-filled adventure for people of all ages. However, Disney as a large brand is contiually impacting upon the way most people now, of this generation, would associate America and liberty which I think negates its national identity.